The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-07-21
/ PERJURED FIREPLACE.
Telling Story and Getting Things
Mixed.

Inc s0unQ OF Tue WlIfu HOWllng us
mally without came from the open fire.
place Of the parlor of cozy suburban
cottage one evening recently. The
proprietor Of the cottage. with his wife
snd an elderly guest. had been sitting
near the fireplace for some moments
listening to the wailings of such por-
ions Of the blast as had been caught in
ihe chimney. ~
The fireplace is trying to tell us
something,' remarked the wife, who
vas Of poetic turn of mind.
Nonsense" exclaimed her husband,
"ire-places never say any thing, at
least not to sensible persons.
"And yet" said the guest. ga tell
tale fireplace once told me that mur-
der had been committed, and pointed
out man which it accused of having
committed the murder"
The host expressed himself as quite
ready to be convinced that fire-places
did talk, and urged his guest to relate
tie murder story which had come from
the mouth Of fireplace.
when was young man" said the
guest, 4 occupied at one time a fur
nished room in large, old-fashioned
house near East Broadway. My room
was the third floor, back. The most
striking feature about it was an old
fashioned fireplace of ample dimen-
SONS By means of this fireplace I
could frequently hear what was said in
sne rooms both above and below mine;
but It was very difficult for me to dis
unguish whether sound which heard
y the fireplace came from the room
aooye or the one below mine. When l
INST took the room, a quarrelsome
couple had the room below, while the
one above was occupied by a very jolly
seoaple. Sometimes would sit in front
q my fireplace and listen to the quar-
nnng from below and the laughter
nom above, which would become
strangely mixed. Many OF the collo-
qa'es formed by the mingling of the
% 1smarks which came through my fire
pace from the rooms above and
below mine were very amusing.
one day learned that the quarrel
one couple had moved to some other
portion Of the town. A few days after
ssa,a tnelr room was taken by a tall,
uark' French-looking man named Le-
ssf aild his wife, delicate woman,
sn0 appeared to be fading. During
a's following week the jolly couple
zen ssnt away. and their room was taken
handsome woman who wore black.
.asle was something sad about her
s. see, which suggested that she had a
sss'or ALI that / could learn from
:! isnalady. q woman who attended
sa',ely 70 her own business, was that
ue iodger above me was a Mrs. Win
:, one evening as was going up to
room, ! saw Leclair standing in
g oall outside his door and talking
10y earnestly to Mrs. Winter, who
Ssned to be regarding him with a look
Z s'e0ng sympathy. During the next
=, - weeks saw Leclair and Mrs. Win
= '0eether in the hall several times.
{ sas very earnest each time, while
. g was evidently sympathetic. One
ssa .sslng as ! passed Leclair's door it
.s:y sasnly opened and l saw Mrs. Lc-
~A looking out with strange ex-
& ssaon on her countenance. When
~. ssw Y me she looked frightened and
s. t.ediy closed the door. I had be-
81 e suspect that Leclair and Mrs.
S.: 49, were lovers. Perhaps Mrs. Lee
s.s. - nsa the same suspicion and had
sss' ~ .ae door in the expectation Of
st, ING Mrs. Winter and her husband
saet The more thought of the
a. s. sne more / became convinced
49,. 81 mere was some mystery con-
ICY .s With my fellow dodgers.
I,.s us saturday evening when Iretired
sna e impossible. to sleep. After
s,s 'ag about for several hours got up
= my easy chair. which hap.